The Colorado Avalanche have once again dominated the early part of the season to sit atop the Central Division. While the Jets and the Mammoth have given them stiff competition, Nathan MacKinnon has made sure the Avs stay on top.
With 19 points, the center has been driving Colorado’s offense. So when ESPN held a poll to decide on some early-season predictions for the Hart Trophy, everyone expected him to dominate the rankings. But shockingly, MacKinnon was nowhere near the top three.
Cale Makar Trumps Nathan MacKinnon as an Early Season Favorite for the Hart Trophy
MacKinnon entered this season with something to prove. With 10 goals across 13 games, he is already tied on the goals leaderboard this season alongside Cole Caufield and Jack Hughes. Meanwhile, with nine assists, he has also kept the Avs’ playmaking up to standard.
Yet, despite those strong numbers, the voting results didn’t reflect his dominance. Instead, Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights emerged as the overwhelming frontrunner, collecting 42% of the votes.
Even more intriguing, MacKinnon’s teammate Cale Makar followed Eichel as the No. 2 favorite, receiving 19% of the ballots and earning significant support from several voters.
While Makar remains one of the best defensemen in the league — having won the Norris Trophy for the past two seasons — his points production has also been outstanding. With 18 points (14 assists, 4 goals), he is just one point behind his teammate on the leaderboard.
ESPN insider Greg Wyshynski noted that the last defenseman to win league MVP was Chris Pronger of the St. Louis Blues in 2000, which was also the most recent time a defenseman was even a finalist for the Hart Trophy
Wyshynski further noted that Makar’s name has become increasingly common in MVP discussions. He highlighted that MacKinnon “has been as relevant to the Hart Trophy voting as defensemen have been alien to it,” winning MVP in 2023-24 and placing in the top four five times since 2017-18.
One MacKinnon voter described his 5-on-5 numbers as “absurd.” Still, while Wyshynski believes MacKinnon is likely to climb back toward the top of the rankings, others emphasized Makar’s value as the Avalanche’s driving force.
One voter said that as great as MacKinnon is, Makar serves as the engine of the team. Wyshynski also suggested both Avs stars could crack the top five in MVP voting, noting that “MacKinnon was fourth for the Hart last season, but Makar finished two spots behind him at sixth.”
Still, there is a long way to go before the final verdict arrives for both of these stars — and for now, all the Avs can do is wait and watch.